Search the MEDIN Data Archive Centres

Introduction

The MEDIN portal is a metadata discovery service providing users
with a single point of access to a well-balanced, authoritative marine
metadata catalogue.

Please note this is a ‘work in progress’ and there
will be an increase in number of records and coverage over the next 12
to 18 months.

Metadata records are available for UK marine data sets across all
subject areas and disciplines. This includes UK organisations
undertaking data collection in non-UK waters. There are other portals
which contain data for more specific data themes or from a European
rather than a UK perspective.

The main sources of metadata are the network of MEDIN accredited
Data Archiving Centres (DACs). These currently include geophysical and
geological data from the British Geological Survey (BGS),
oceanographic data from the British Oceanographic Data Centre (BODC),
bathymetry data from the UK Hydrographic Office (UKHO) and habitat and
species data from the Data Archive on Seabed Species and Habitats
(DASSH).

It is expected that the following major datasets and catalogues
will be incorporated into the portal in the near future: the UK
Directory for Marine Observing Systems (UKDMOS), MERMAN, and marine
metadata from the National Biodiversity Network (NBN).

The portal search facility allows for the copy and paste of the URL
to ‘keep a search’ and return to the generated results page or send
the link to others. There is also open search functionality on the
portal.

Search by other terms

A full date search requires the format
YYYY-MM-DD. Alternatively, only the years can be entered and
the portal will search between 1st January and 31st December
for those years specified.

If the user wishes to find data which may not contain a
start date (e.g. historic data) or an end date (e.g. ongoing
monitoring programmes) then the user must specify
either a start date or an
end date. Specifying only a start date will return records
whose temporal coverage starts on or after that date. If only
an end date is specified then the records returned will end on
or before that date.

The user can select by country, SeaVox region, UK
Charting Progress Sea Area and ICES statistical
rectangles. Currently only one area at a time can be
selected.

Countries are in alphabetical order and if the beginning
letter of the country is typed the list shifts to the start
of countries beginning with that letter.

Create a new box by dragging the mouse whilst holding down the CTRL key. Click the box to finish editing and then click the search button.

Click on an existing box to resize or drag it. Click the box to finish editing and then click the search button. (help)

Define bounding boxes

Creating a bounding box restricts results to data which
intersects with the box. In addition to using the predefined
areas you can create your own.

Create a new box by holding down the
CTRL key whilst dragging the mouse over the map using
the left mouse button. Releasing the button creates the box and
lets you resize it using the handles on the box
or reposition it by dragging. Click the box to
finish it and return to normal map navigation mode.

An existing box can be resized by clicking
it to enter edit mode. The resize handles will appear in the box
corners and the box can also be dragged to a new
position. Clicking the box again returns you to normal map
navigation mode.

Navigate the map

As well as using the visible navigation icons on the map you
can also navigate using the mouse. Left-clicking the mouse and
dragging will let you pan the map. If you have
a mouse-wheel you can use this to zoom in or
out. Holding down the SHIFT key whilst
dragging the map lets you zoom into a specific
area.

Edit the search box coordinates

Coordinates should use decimal degrees in the format West,South,East,North.